How to Save a Demon
by InvaderXion
Summary: While cult bashing Dipper and Mabel come across a demon unlike any of the others, known simply as the Beast. Transcendence AU meets Over the Garden Wall!


**Ok quick authors note. If you aren't up to date with the transcendence AU tumblr and community then this story will be very confusing. I'd recommend checking out for the basics and some of the main stories, especially those by** **Seiya234** **to understand where I'm starting from. Just general knowledge of OTGW is required. Enjoy.**

Dipper and Mabel didn't go cult bashing together much anymore. Especially since at this point only the craziest of people risked summoning a demon. But Dipper found out about a new cult performing a summons near Gravity Falls.

Despite being nearly 50 years old Mabel on accompanying her brother, and Henry just sighed in the background picking up his axe and heading to the car to drive them to this new cult. All the kids were away for various reasons and the house was quiet.

By the time they arrived at the forest where the cult was performing their summons, it was obvious to Dipper that the summoning was nearly complete. Henry stopped the car and Mabel prepared to get out but Dipper told her to wait, if he was going to have to tango with another demon he didn't want them to get stuck in the crosshairs.

So Dipper flew out alone making himself invisible to the cultists and waited. After a minute the chanting ended and a bright light blinked into existence in the middle of the circle growing from a small ball into a human shape and finally turning into a… teenager with a cloak and antlers?

"Oh mighty Beast of the Unknown, bestow upon us…" Dipper tuned out the usual cult wanting's fame, world domination that sort of thing. All of his attention was on the new demon, who looked absolutely terrified, raising hands against the barrier keeping him trapped inside the circle. Poor little demon can't even escape the poor excuse for a binding circle the cult had drawn.

Dipper nodded to Mabel and she finally got out of the car and they went to work taking down the cult easily. The cult obviously wasn't prepared for them, and in a couple minutes they had several unconscious cult members laying around. After using some of Dipper's powers to move them into a corner and bind them with some rope.

Finally turning their gaze back to the circle the demon was still there starring out at them with his multi-colored eyes. Mabel walked up and prepared to erase the circle and set the demon free provided he didn't try to hurt them. But once again Dipper stopped her.

"W̶̤h̫̄̋ͮ̏̐̍ō̩̣͙̙̼̯̒͆̑̑ͭ͡ͅ à͉̭̺̞̠̦̉̄̀r̤̫̩̣͛̄̓͛̔̐̈́͟e̵̗̰ ̍̚҉y͚̗͔͖̌ͬ͐ͭͮo̗͚̘̖̞̓̍̎̂͑̈́ṷ̢͚̥̪̙̓͗̂ͭ ͖̾͋͋̂l̺̝̽̆̈i̩͚͔̋̓̿̓̍̚͢t̿̓͆̊̎̏͐͡ṭ̻̘̤̝͈̪̋͘l͎͚̥̖̞ͮ̿ͨͯ̓͝e̲͙̦̤̰͆ͦ̓̊ ̟̜̦̞̺̎͟ͅd͔̖͔ͫ̒̈́̈́̒̆̀ë́ͬ͂ͫͧ̚̚͏̘̥m͖͚͊͆͟o͚͚̫̱̣̹͕͠n̮͕̳̲̜͉̋̃͌̏?" Dipper asked adding a little reverb to his voice for effect. Despite his earlier fear the smaller demons face was a mask that portrayed no emotion except an eerie calm.

"My name is Wirt of the Unknown, if you could just release me from this circle I'll be on my way."

"T͕̹ͭͪ̂ͤͮĥ̟̺͍e̳̟̣͛́͋̋̾ ͌́̀Ụ̖̜̮̜̺̎͂ͤ̊n̤ͬ̆̓̆̂̀́k̨̪̜̜̳͈n̰̲̞̘̼͐̏ͯ̐ͭo̭w͈͔̼͕n̦̬̬͔̲ͪ̀̌̋͛͒̕?" Dipper questioned drawing a clawed finger across his face. "Never heard of it."

A shadow crossed the smaller demons face. "It's where all the lost souls end up. I serve as its caretaker and guide lost souls when I can." Then in a whisper only audible to Dipper he said "and̢ so̢mèt͡i̢m͏e̶s ͞I ͝m̷ak̛e҉ th͠em҉ ín҉t҉o ҉n̴ew͜ ͞tre҉éş."

By then Mabel had finally registered the fact that he had antlers, much like someone else she knew. "Henry, come over here." She squealed

Henry burst into the clearing carrying his axe loosely, "What wrong are there more cultists?"

Mabel simply pointed him the way of Wirt, where Dipper was floating around examining him from all angles. As Henry's eyes came to rest on Wirt's antlers his hand subconsciously reached out to feel where his antlers could have been. In his head Henry was concerned, he felt for a good time now the distinction between the woodsman and wondered if somehow… somehow. Henry felt deep inside himself where the woodsman slept and felt him right where he should be and relaxed slightly.

"Um Alcor." Henry spoke up gesturing to the demon, Dipper finally clicked back into business.

"Oh̵ ͞y̸̨eà̡h̵. Ok Wirt a few questions. Do you know who we are? Why did he call you the Beast? And what's your game, what deal did he want?"

"Wirt" though cautiously for a moment. "To the second question, I am called the Beast by the people of the Unknown a name I inherited from my predecessor, when I took over guardianship of the forest." At that Dipper raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what kind of deal he wanted, I don't make deals anymore. As for who you are…"

Wirt took in Dipper appearance and thought for another minute. "Cipher?"

Dipper visibly deflated for a moment but came back with anger in his eyes. "I ̶a͢m͜ ́͠n̸͜o̴̡t̕ t̀h͢͟a͝t̵ ̴͞m̛͝a͘ǹi̡͠a̶̡c̡͟, and everyone knows he's been gone for more than 20 years."

Wirt held up his hands in resignation, still no emotion visible in his face and eyes. "I wasn't aware, I have not left the unknown since I became its guardian. And we don't get much news of the outside."

"What do you mean you became the guardian? Demon powers cannot be passed down generationally." Dipper was intrigued but also close to anger.

"They can when you willing take them releasing the previous soul." Wirt materialized a small lantern and looked into its flameless depths. "This is the only token of the past guardian I keep."

Mabel looked into the little demons eyes and saw a true sadness. "Can we keep him?" She pleaded to her brother and her husband. Dipper and Henry shared a look and sighed.

"Mabel, honey we can't take in every wayward creature we find. The shack is crowded as it is." Henry told her and she pouted, still never giving up some of her more childish habits.

"Look I'll make a deal with you, tell us your story and we'll erase the circle." Dippers mouth twitched upwards, a shadow of the shark like grin that usually adorned his deals. Wirt shook Dippers hand still unable to breach the circle and began his tale.

"So let me get this right, you inherited demon powers by blowing out a lantern?" Dipper cackled, an insane laugh that worried Mabel and Henry how had taken up sitting positions around the circle for Wirt's tale. "Oh gosh and here I thought I'd seen everything."

Wirt looked defensive having dropped the mask as he told his story especially as he reacted to Mabel's clear emotions and at certain points tears. "It's not like I asked to be given the beast's powers it just sort of happened."

Dipper rubbed his chin. "An involuntary contract, hm."

"Ok, I told you my story can you release me I need to get back." Wirt looked kind of jumpy which made sense, because it seemed her was used to the scariest thing in his dimension being himself.

Dipper didn't say anything but floated playing around with an idea in his head. "I think I may be able to help, for a price."

That really got Wirt's attention. "Help with what?"

"Freeing you from the beast." Dipper gestured to the glowing eyes and antlers. "Look you're not really a proper demon, yet. Just a really advanced possession. How long have you been like that?"

"It's hard to tell, forty years your time I believe." A glimmer of hope had risen in Wirt's eyes and a bit of disgust at his predicament. "What do you need to do it?"

"I'll need your lantern, and I need it lit. And when I separate you I get to eat the beast's soul." Wirt was taken a back slightly, had he turned lost souls into Adelwood tree before, sure. But eating one that was different. But a dark voice he had come to think of as the beast whispered in the back of his mind, wondering what the taste would be like, like Adelwood oil?

"Ok, I just… Um I need to go back into the Unknown to get the fuel for the lantern." Wirt held up his lantern meekly and Dipper could still feel the residual trace of the soul trapped within that ebbed away with each passing moment.

"Not a problem, we can be there and back in a few seconds." Dipper prepared to blip them away but Mabel put her hand on his arm.

"You're not leaving without me."

"Mizar I don't know if I can protect you in the unknown, with or without its demon." Dipper tried to shake her off his arm but she held fast and hefted her bat with her other hand.

"I can take care of myself, let's go." Dipper sighed and shot a quick look at Henry who just nodded in return.

"A͌̈͑ͫ͂̾̐ͩ̆̕l̎̑̎ͦ͂̊͞rͮ͛́̽͋̃̅̄iͦͨͮ̉͟͢ģ̑̔̒ͮ̅͆̾͆h͛t̴̛ͤ̑,ͦ̑̔͌͘ ̡̾̈͆̾͂ͭ̔̀͞ḧ̌̄̇͟͡ǫ̔̾ͣ̈̓̄ͦͨl̸ͨ͌̿̌ͩ̇̄͢d̵ͫ̑̂ ̽̌̊̎ͫͮ̾o̔̓̓̀̉͒ͫ̿ͣ͡͡n̵͌̃̋͛͂̊̓ ." A slight smile creeped onto his face as Dipper blipped them into a new forest this one covered in shadows and an eerie vibe. Mabel and Henry stood close together taking in the scene they had come to. Wirt began to move out of the clearing carrying the lantern in front of him as though it still provided light.

"I need to make one stop then we can make the oil to light the lantern." The foursome tracked through the woods with Wirt occasionally stopping to test a couple trees, knocking on them before turning away. Finally they came to another clearing with a different tree in the middle, this one budded and held leaves though the others were barren.

"You mind if I borrow that?" Wirt turned around and asked Henry drawing him out of his thoughts. Henry handed Wirt the axe, who then went to work cutting off sections of the trees limbs before tying them into a bundle with a length of rope from under his cloak. As he pulled the bundle over his should Wirt caught a glimpse of worry on Henry's face. "Don't worry, as long as you're with me nothing in the Unknown would dare harm you."

Wirt turned and lead them off again, humming as he went a sound that scarred off any creatures that may approach them, even small animals like squirrels knew to stay away when the beast sang. Finally they reached an old mill house and Wirt knocked on the door. An older man answered, an axe held in one hand loosely.

"What do you want Beast?" He rumbled.

"Hello again woodsman, I need to use your mill." That name shocked the trio that followed. Even Dipper who was supposed to know everything hadn't known about this place or these people. Once again Henry felt dread creeping up his back at another reminder of that part of himself.

"I told you to stay away from me, especially after what you did to this kid." The woodsman spoke with a harshness that made the Gravity Falls trio feel that the two in front of them had a rocky history.

Wirt pinched his nose. "Look woodsman I've tried to tell you I'm still 'that kid'. But if you let me use your mill one last time, I'll be able to go home and the beast will be gone for good."

"And how do you presume to do that? By making more oil from ground up souls?" The woodsman angrily moved to better cover the doorframe. "I'm tired of your games, go away."

Dipper stepped, or rather floated forward. "I believe I can be off assistance. I've made a deal with Wirt to get rid of the beast, and I can do it too. But I need that lantern lit, and Wirt tells me you're the guy with the mill."

The woodsman didn't seem completely convinced but he let them through keeping an eye on them never letting go of his axe. Wirt sat about to his work cutting up the sticks and grinding them into oil which caught in the lanterns compartment, when he had enough oil he gathered his entourage and headed out. As they left the woodsman turned to Mabel and Henry, "Do not trust the beast. He only lies and deceives."

Turning away they continued back outside into the forest, Wirt looked mournfully at the lantern as the reached a clearing sufficient in space for their purposes.

"What was that guy's problem with you?" Mabel asked. "He was being really rude about it."

"The last beast lied to him, made him think he'd lost his only family. The woodsman spent years carrying this lantern around and making oil, believing that his daughter's soul was trapped inside." Wirt looked downcast. "He still doesn't believe that I'm not the same as the old beast."

"Enough talking let get down to business." Alcor licked his lips in anticipation of his meal, the soul of another demon was a treat he hadn't tasted in a long time. Mabel and Henry however dreaded that part off interaction, as those energy highs tended to have some bad consequences on Dipper and those around him. "L̡͖̤̜̫͕̬i̤͙͚͇͝g̫͈̮͇̳̦̝̹h̭̙̞̭͔̺͇͇t͇͕̘̰͍̕ ̮͘t͙̞̞̼h̴̵̢̖̳̰̱̼a̵̳̭̳͙̬͠t̲̟̦̣ ̶̻̟l̵͇̮̠ͅa͍͙͈̗̠̣̭͖ṇ̴̗͇̲͈̻̩͝t̪͎̝̗͎̲̤̹e͞͏̸̟͓̯͇̠̞̬͇ṟ̸n̨͇͖̬̼͓͕͝."

Wirt waved his hand over the oil and it caught fire, and so did he. A halo of fire, yellow, orange and pale blue all at the same time. He started to scream and Mabel nearly ran to him to help. It was a soul rending sound. His antlers grew up and out on the side of his head and Wirt grew taller a blackness faded over his features till he looked like a living shadow.

"This must be what the beast truly looks like." Dipper stepped forward. "Ḅ̭̳e̥̖̜̘̰̖͠a͍̩̝͖͍̝̯̹͜ṣ͓̟̩͎͕̝̳͔͘t̹͓̦̀,͡҉̰̣͍͖ ̝͕͉̬̙̬̠̀͞t͝҉̙͚̱̗̭͈h̨͇̜̗̱͔̱i̬̬̘͔̭s̨̰̟̯̝̻̰̥̳ ̕͏̩͕̲̪̫̹͚̥̀b̠̻̳͈̹̼͇͝o̡͏̞͍͓͖̜d̤͚̪̩́̕͟y̡̙̼͎̼̭͠ ͍͘͟i͠͏̦͇͈̘̟s̪̘͉̟̘̖̰̻͝ ̧̺͇͖͖͜ń̺̲̕o͎t͖̳̲̱͉̫ ͉̰͖̹̝̤̕y̴̗̥̝ò̸̗͚͔̻̙̟̜̤͟u̯̼̱̟͚̙͉̮̯͠r̡̝̣̤͔̩͘s͉̖̹̗̫,̩̬̗ ̡̭̥͔̘͎͟v̨̖̞͚̱͔͖̻͔a̡͏̵̠̝̩͚̫̬͙̳c̶̥̙̼͉a̰͉͙̟͍t̬̪͝͞e̫̫̫̣̞̻ ̣̲͕̬̟̤̖̞̹ì̷̻̣̞͕͙͇̰͓͜t̯̬̥̙ͅͅ ̺̹͚͡ą͇̪͘ņ̪̰̫̗̖̳̫̜̥͝d͔̻̣͙̀͞ ̡̡̨̲̰͍I̭̝̩̹̟̬̜̣͟'̛̳̻̻̬l̤̼̯̪̫̭͜l̡̪̲̭͖͎̳̰͡ ̵̙͍̦̺̰̣p̢̧̱͍̬̹̙͓̲e̬̣̞̳͘͡ͅr̝̘̪͕̤̝̭̝m̘̭̞̦̗͞i̮̹̻̱̞̖̦̯t͞͏̲͍̰̥̹ ̣̙̥͚̞̬̟̜͞ͅy̨̫̣͚̼̟̱͟͜o̙̘͟u͏̩̘̥̰̱̦̬̻ ̡̩̟̮͍a̬͇̱̼̹̲̹͔ ̶̧̪̠̫q̵̺̥u̧̺̯͘i̢͎̞͈̜͚̣͔̭c̷̨̥̖̙͉̪̼k͖̼̱͓̣͈̯̤͠è͍̦̟̦̠͖͜r̡̢͈̹̫̟͉̣̟̳ ͈d̩͇̬͕̱͠e͖̘̱̙̫̬ͅa̵͏̱̲̘̼̖t̛̰h̷̠̭̹̺̼͇̙ͅͅ."

The Beast laughed, a deep hearty laugh. "I have laid claim to this form, see how it conforms to suit me. I must thank you though for lighting my lantern and freeing my soul. But don't think of it working a second time, I am bound to this form now, it would merely be an annoyance." The beast's voice lacked the usual demonic reverb instead it was deep and smooth.

A grin plastered itself across Alcor's face. "Then how about a deal? In exchange for leaving that body I will give you the ability to leave this world you've been trapped in."

If that shocked the beast he did not show it. "And what guarantee have I that you won't double cross me? I'm not so naïve as to think you do this out of kindness."

"You don't, but what's the risk? Be stuck here cycling through teenage hosts or taking off and building your own form in another world?" The beast seemed to ponder for a moment then stretched out his hand, Alcor grasped it and a blue flame covered both.

As Alcor stepped back Wirt changed, his form reducing in size as his antlers vanished and he dropped to the ground. A ball of yellow light floated in front of him that sported the ghosts of antlers on the sides. Alcor seized the ball and opened his mouth, ripping into it as Mabel and Henry looked away, after all this time still disgusted at seeing him eat souls.

When the sounds finished they faced Alcor again and waited to see how it was going to affect him. The only expression his face held was slight confusion. He spit out like he'd tasted something awful.

"Agh, that almost wasn't even worth the effort, tasted just like acid." Dipper wiped the excess blood from his mouth, and the other two were glad to see he hadn't gotten more demony. They all then turned their attention to Wirt who was still unconscious, not surprising for someone who had just had the demon ripped out of them.

"So what now?"

Epilogue

After a brief foray into the Unknown the trio returned back to their dimension and drove home, an unconscious Wirt sitting between them. When they returned to the shack they laid Wirt down in one of the kids beds, and Henry stayed behind to watch him as Dipper and Mabel went downstairs to figure out what to do about him.

"Can I keep him now? He'll fit right in here." Mabel begged with puppy eyes. "Hey wait, how did you know you could do that?"

"It's something I've thought about ever since you know… if there had been a way to take away demon powers. He was just lucky they hadn't full latched yet." Dippers head was hung low, remembering the many nights he had spent torturing himself over whether or not he could have fixed himself.

"Oh Dip." Mabel sighed took a seat on the couch and patted for Dipper to sit next to her. When he did she wrapped him in a fierce hug. "You did something great today, focus on that."

 **Upstairs.**

"Greg?" Wirt questioned as he awoke trying to sit up but nearly collapsing from exhaustion. Henry just laid him back down and pulled up the blanket, having with triplets will teach you how to deal with fussy children.

"Just sleep for now."

"No I need to find Greg, the last time I saw him was…" Wirt trailed off as he looked at Henry and his face went white. "Beast."

"Wirt, Wirt calm down. I'm not the beast, we got you out of the unknown. You're safe." Henry grabbed Wirt's shoulders to stop his convulsions, and held him tight. "Please I need you to calm down."

It was Henry's soft calm voice that made Wirt accept that he was safe, the beast could never has pulled a stunt like this, the only emotions he had were anger and amusement. Settling back into the bed Wirt began to drift off to sleep again. "But what about the antlers?" He muttered.

Henry once again reached up and felt where is antlers remained intangible, it seemed Wirt has the sight. Once Wirt was well asleep Henry laid one last look at the sleeping boy, reminded of the feeling of seeing his own children sleep so calm and peaceful. He made his way downstairs and found that similarly Mabel and Dipper lay asleep on the couch arms wrapped around each other.

After everyone woke up and ate a hearty breakfast of pancakes and Mabel juice they got down to business.

"Wirt, what do you remember before you came here?" Henry asked.

"All of it. It took a while but I remember everything. Forty years of being trapped in the Unknown, never aging, never sleeping." Wirt shivered despite the heat. "My family probably thinks I'm dead."

"Your family?" Mabel questioned finishing up her third stack of pancakes. "Tell us about them."

"Well you know about Greg, my younger brother. Well I guess he's the older brother now. Other than there's just my mom and my step-dad. He should have made it back to them after he got out of the Unknown." Wirt tried to pull at his cloak, a habitat he'd picked up for when was stressed, only to remember he'd taken it off.

"I can find him." Dipper chimed in from his place floating above the table, lounging with one arm propping up his head.

"But don't I need to give you something in return?" Wirt asked cautiously.

Dipper shook his head. "It may not have tasted good but the beast's soul was payment enough, even though this wasn't part of the original deal."

"Really." Wirt asked hope in his eyes.

"I don't joke about deals. Give me a minute." Dipper blipped away to find Greg. Leaving the rest in uncomfortable silence.

"So what did you like to do before you were in the Unknown?" Henry asked.

"I played the clarinet, and listened to tapes, and I had this crush…" Wirt trailed off.

"Crush." Mabel's eyes lit up in a playful light. "Who was the lucky girl?"

"Her name was Sara, I never got to tell her though. I made her a tape to tell her but, oh my gosh the tape. What if she still has it?" Embarrassment bloomed on his face. Mabel just laughed as Dipper blipped back in filling the room with the scent of fresh pine.

"I found your brother, I can take you too him now." Dipper held out a hand to Wirt.

"Wait, wait I have a gift for Wirt before he goes." Mabel ran out of the room and returned with a sweater she forced over his head quickly. On the front it read "I survived the Unknown and all I got was this sweater." Who knows how she managed to have time to make that.

"Ok, you can go now. But if you ever need us again, just put in a call to the Stanley Pines Memorial Library of the Supernatural." Mabel gave Wirt a hug. "Bye Wirt."

Henry also stood and though Wirt was dwarfed by his size, pulled him into a strong hug. "I'm glad we got you fixed up. Be careful out there Wirt."

Once that was done Wirt grabbed Dipper's hand and they blipped away. Wirt opened his eyes slightly disoriented from the blipping in his old home, and barely anything had changed.

"Did we go back in time?" Wirt questioned letting go of Dipper.

"No, that would have required a price you d͠o ́͢no̷̧t̕͟͡ ̀wa҉͏nt́ ̴̶to͏̸̨ ͝p̵a̵̧ý̷. Your brother just kept the house after your parents passed. He's in the living room." Dipper pointed towards the door that lead there from the kitchen.

"Thank you Alcor if you hadn't been able to save me I know that once the beast's soul was gone I would have been stuck like that permanently." Dipper tried not to show any emotions, but a soft spot was growing for the kid.

"Don't mention it. Seriously don't tell anyone about how you got back. As far as everyone else is concerned you were able to find your way back here by yourself. I have a reputation to uphold." Dipper turned up his nose trying to act above it all but Wirt could see through that.

"I remember everything from before, and that includes the memories I got from the beast. I know who Cipher was, and you're nothing like him. I'm sorry for thinking you were him." Wirt regained some confidence. "When we were back in the Unknown I could see all of your souls and I know what you are, that you're what I would have become. But I'm glad to see that you're still you. It gives me hope, hope that I'm still me even after all this time."

Wirt gave Dipper a quick hug. "I guess we're both lost souls in a way." He moved back and turned away preparing to leave the room. "Don't let the demon win."

Dipper was left agape as Wirt entered the other room and sounds of reunion came through the wall. One side of him wanted to be angry that Wirt had the audacity to talk as if he knew what Dipper had been through. But the other part of his mind reveled in the knowledge that he'd done good today, and that even among demons he wasn't alone.

Dipper blipped away leaving a note tucked slightly under a jar for Wirt to find later, a copy of his summoning circle inside, the family circle.

 **That wraps up my short OTGW and Transcendence AU. I tried to be good to the established TAU cannon but I'm still a baby TAU fan so feel free to point out any contradictions I made in the comments. Adieu.**


End file.
